25+ Welwitschia Goth (whimsical emo) Crochet Patterns to Make
Born in the digital twilight of MySpace, Facebook, and DeviantArt, Welwitschia Goth tapped into the emo and goths yearning for something both creepy and beautiful at the same time. Ccracked porcelain dolls, bows, fluttering butterflies, and ghostly dresses that whisper stories of sorrow and longing. It’s an aesthetic that embraces sadness, strangeness, and the eerie magic woven through dark fairy-tale imagery.
The term ‘Welwitschia Goth’ was first coined by @flipflapperin on TikTok in early 2023, though its roots stretch back through the 2000s and early 2010s. Emergent within emo-goth circles, it later found companionship in indie horror games, Creepypasta lore, and dark fantasy media.
@flipflapperin
Welwitschia Goth draws from classic gothic tones, but with playful contrasts. You will see deep, rich black, blood red, dark purples, and shades that feel haunted—like the shadows just beyond the candle's edge. Then there’s the occasional soft blush—pale pinks or ghostly violets—that tug at nostalgia and innocence. These colors dance between elegance and decay, the sublime and the uncanny.
Historically, this aesthetic found life in early social platforms, MySpace layouts adorned with butterflies, gothic Lolita styling, and emotive horror illustrations. It shares lineage with Morute but with more elements of horror, Mallgoth, Gothic Lolita, and elements of Catholic horror, melding these with fairy-tale forest decay, cracked dolls, and surreal motifs.
Some common elements of welwitschia goth are butterflies, elements of corporate grunge, forests -specifically dead trees, fairy wings, flowers, dolls - especially with cracked faces, striped socks or pointy shoes, and an whimsical emo vibe overall.
This aesthetic just really makes me really nostalgic overall, it’s one that I recognized but didn’t know it had a name until recently and so I’ve rounded up my favorite welwitschia goth inspired patterns here for you all.
And I’ve separated them into three different categories: Clothing, Accessories and Home Decor. And as always, you can find all of the patterns linked below.
Alright, let’s get started!
Clothing:
First is the spiderweb sweater by me. This is such a great distressed piece for layering with and adding a spooky flair to your ensemble. It’s worked with fingering weight yarn and is beginner friendly but does require a bit of counting and only requires basic stitches to make so it’s definitely great for a confident beginner to tackle. It’s definitely a statement piece, and it's available as a paid pattern over on my website as well as a video tutorial on my YouTube channel.
Nightfall Top by Heidi Nieling, see the pattern here.
Or make the Nightfall Top by Heidi Nieling. This gorgeous winged top is great if you want to go for a bat wing or dragon wing look, and if you create it with the welwitschia palette it would be perfect for this aesthetic. This pattern is a paid pattern on Ravelry, and it’s made to measure so you can easily adjust the fit as you like.
I also like the butterfly wrap by Yarnspirations. This easy level pattern uses Red Heart Boutique yarn to create a lightweight and lacy butterfly-shaped wings. It’s free on their website and would make the perfect layering piece for chilly evenings and would be even more perfect if made a darker color palette.
Morning Glory Dress by Heidi Nieling, see the pattern here.
Or make the morning glory dress by Heidi Nieling. This one is a paid pattern on their Ravelry, and is a made to measure and is rated as intermediate but also is great for a confident beginner and doesn’t have any sewing which is nice. And I just think this would be the perfect layering piece and is perfect in black.
Tributary Top by Heidi Nieling, see the pattern here.
The Tributary Top by Heidi Nieling is a great piece to make. This one includes four different body versions and three strap options, and it’s made to measure. So there are so many different possibilities with this pattern and I loved the laciness and flowiness of it, and it’s a paid pattern on their Ravelry.
Lily of the Valley Skirt by Hannah Drapinski, see the pattern here.
I also love the lily of the valley skirt by Hannah Drapinski. This one is a free pattern on her channel and I love how lacy and flowy it is and it’s a great layering piece as well. It’s a beginner friendly piece and is also great if you like visual tutorials as it is a video tutorial, and it also includes a lot of instructions on how to alter the size to fit you since it’s made to measure.
Shimmer Skirt by Yarnspirations, see the pattern here.
There is also the shimmer skirt by Yarnspirations. This piece is free on their website, and it’s great because it also doubles as a poncho, which is pretty cool and it is more intermediate to create. The only special stitches are the foundation double crochet, shell stitch and shell over shell, and I loved how lacy this one was as well and it would be perfect in a dark purple and red colorway and it has sizes XS to 2XL.
Fairy Wing Top by Rocca Crochet, see the pattern here.
The fairy wing top by Rocca Crochet is also a great piece. This one is also a free video tutorial and to create it – you make the front panel, then wings, then side panels, finish it off with the straps, and the middle scrunch. There are also tips on how to make this one exactly fit you, and what I love about it is the holes in it with the wings it really adds to that Welwitschia vibe, and I really love it in the long sleeves as well.
Butterfly Top by Mae Crochets, see the pattern here.
Or make the butterfly top my Mae Crochets. This free pattern is on their website, and this pattern uses the lion brand pima cotton which has a lovely airy and feminine feel and is also beginner friendly. Its open work stitch design also is perfect to make and wear for warmer weather and festival season. And there is also a YouTube video tutorial for this one, and it has sizes XS to 5XL.
Midnight Moth Sweater by Eerie Knots, see the pattern here.
I also really loved this Midnight Moth Cocoon Sweater by Eerie Knots. This one is a paid pattern in their Etsy and it has sizes Small to 5XL. It’s perfect to create and layer with in cooler weather, and also perfect for spooky season. It’s also a beginner friendly make and I feel that its oversized and flowy nature is perfect for this aesthetic.
Striped Sweater by Sophie Louise, see the pattern here.
Another great make is the sweater striped by Sophie Louise. This one is perfect for beginners as it uses simple stitches to create a comfy and relaxed fit pullover. If you stitch it up in that welwitschia palette I think it’d be perfect for rocking this aesthetic because of the bold chunky stripes . You do have to adjust the stitch count so that it can fit you, but if you love video tutorials this could be a good one to get inspiration from, and this one is a YouTube video tutorial over on their channel.
Skeleton Harness by Cactus Lady Creation, see the pattern here.
Or make the Skeleton Harness by me. I have this one as a YouTube video tutorial here on my channel, and as a paid pattern over on my website. It’s made with worsted weight yarn and whips up quite quickly and is an intermediate level project, because it does require a bit of stitch to finish it off. This one also has sizes XS to 5XL as well as tips on how to measure it to fit you and adjust the size, and this one is really the perfect layering piece to make a statement.
Accessories
Web Bolero by Eerie Knots, see the pattern here.
First is the Web Bolero by Eerie Knots. This one is definitely leaning toward the goth vibes and is a great layering piece. It uses medium weight yarn to create an intricate spiderweb effect that drapes over any outfit and is also perfect for adding instant drama and edge to your outfit. It’s made to measure and is a paid pattern in their Etsy.
Butterfly Shawl by Yarnspirations, see the pattern here.
Another great pattern is the butterfly shawl by Yarnspirations. It’s an intermediate level pattern that is a triangular shaped shawl that has the elegant butterfly wings design on it and it creates a lightweight and flowing piece that works beautifully as a statement wrap. And this one is a free pattern over on their website. And I also thought it was perfect in this color and it uses the filet technique which is also a great technique to create pieces with to sport this aesthetic.
Fingerless Gloves by Yarnspirations, see the pattern here.
I also love the fingerless crochet gloves by Yarnsprations. It’s perfect in that black and white colorway, and I love the raised stitching created with the puff stitch. The cuffs are worked in rows, and the hand portion is worked in rounds. There are two sizes, child and adult, and this one is also a free pattern on their website.
Fingerless Gloves by Handmade by Mei, see the pattern here.
If you love the fingerless gloves, here are some lacy fingerless ones by Handmade by Mei. This one has a really emo feel with that fishnet and distressed look, and is an easy-to-follow because it is a video tutorial on their channel, and this one would also be pretty quick and easy to whip up as well.
Butterfly Wings Shawl by Crochetverse, see the pattern here.
Another great pattern is this butterfly shawl by Crochetverse. I love how dramatic and detailed this one is. And it’s perfect for intermediate level crocheters. This one is a paid pattern in their Etsy shop, and it’s modeled after the cecropia moth, and if you make it with a moody color palette it would be perfect.
Mesh Top by Lunar Still, see the pattern here.
This mesh top by Lunar Still is also a fun pattern. This one is a paid pattern in their Etsy shop, and is more intermediate level to make. The great thing is this patter is made to measure and you can also adjust it to be a full body top, bolero or a short sleeve top, so there are so many options with this one. And this one would be perfect to make and layer with and I thought it was so unique and creative. There are quite a few great patterns in their shop that also work well for this aesthetic.
Cowl by Rohan Made, see the pattern here.
Another great one is the cowl by Rohan Made, and is more intermediate level to make. It’s the perfect thick and cozy accessory and since it’s worked up with bulky yarn it would work up quite quickly and would be the perfect layering piece for cold weather. I liked this one because of all of the texture, and I loved it with the darker and black color palette.
Home Decor
Whimsical Luna Moth by Stardust Gold Crochet, see the pattern here.
First is the whimsical luna moth c2c by Stardust Gold Crochet. This lovely C2C blanket captures a mystical and otherworldly vibe that fits into the Welwitschia goth aesthetic. This uses the corner to corner technique, so it does have a colorwork chart that you would have to be comfortable working from. It would be perfect in a more moody colorway, and could be used for a wall hanging or pillowcase even and It’s a free pattern on their blog.
Skeleton Doll by A Crafty Concept, see the pattern here.
Or make the skeleton doll by A Crafty Concept. It is more intermediate level because you do have to follow a chart and there is a bit of color changing, but there is also a helpful video tutorial if you are more visual. I thought this one was really creative and they actually used puff paint to paint on bones for the arms and legs which was pretty cool. If you don’t have puff paint, you could also embroider them on, and I thought this was a really creative pattern and it is free pattern over on their blog.
12 Point Star Tablecloth by Peaches n Crafts, see the pattern here.
Another great pattern is the 12 point star tablecloth by Peaches n Crafts. This one is a perfect make in this colorway and it measures 32 inches from tip to tip, and is worked in the round. It’s a paid pattern in their Etsy and this one would be perfect for making and displaying on a mantel, or altar and layering under candles and crystals.
Lily of the Valley by Mrs. Crowlet, see the pattern here.
I also liked the Lily of the Valley by Mrs. Crowlet. It measures 11.5 cm or 4.5 inches if you use the same yarn weight from the pattern, so it’s cute and small. And it includes a lot of photos and a video tutorial to help with making it. And this one is a paid pattern in their Etsy shop, and I thought it really is a perfect whimsical yet a little spooky at the same time and perfect for Halloween vibes.
Brainy Coasters by Fayni Toys, see the pattern here.
I also liked these brainy skull coasters by FayniToys. This one is really whimsical especially with the gold tooth detail, and is perfect for adding a little whimsical detail to your coffee table. It’s intermediate level to make and these are also perfect for Halloween or all spooky vibes all year round, and it’s a paid pattern in their Etsy as well.
Insect Tapestry by Peach Puff Patterns, see the pattern here.
The Insect Tap by Peach Puff Patterns. This pattern includes graph patterns and written instructions for four different tapestries, it features a moth, dragonfly, mantis and a spider and this is perfect to add a moody dark whimsical tough to your walls, and I also love how they sewed the rhinestones on, and this one is a paid pattern in their Etsy.
Well what did you think of these Welwitschia Goth patterns? Let me know in the comments below, and if you enjoyed make sure to leave some fallen leave a 🖤 in the comments and let me know what other crochet pattern round-ups you’d like to see from me.
If you liked this one you might like to check out the Goth or even the Whimsigoth round-up next.
Thanks for crocheting along with me, and I hope you'll join me in the next one.
@cactusladycreation